Chain fastener device



April 1961 G. P. PATRIQUIN ET AL 2,981,090

CHAIN FASTENER DEVICE Filed Jan. 16, 1959 INVENTORS GEORGE P. PATRIQUINNORMAN R. ADLER BY 6 MA'ITORNEY CHAIN FASTENER DEVICE George P.Patriquin, Gardner, and Norman R. Adler,

Fitcliburg, Mass., assignors to Independent Lock Conipany, Fitchburg,Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Jan. 16, 1959, Sen No. 787,1 57 9 Claims. .(Cl. 70-.93)

This, invention relates to an auxiliary. door fastener, and moreparticularly to a door fastener of the chain type, commonly used inconjunction with a conventional door lock assembly in order to providean additional measure of security and privacy by permitting theinhabitant of a dwelling or the like to open the door part way, as forinspection of a caller, while at the same time assuring the security ofthe inhabitant by preventing the caller from further opening the doorwithout the assistance of the inhabitant.

This invention further relates to a door chain fastener assembly havinga key operable cylinder plug'whereby the chain member is adapted to bereleased by the key operation of the plug from outside of the door.

Still more particularly, this invention relates to a door chain fasteneras aforesaid having novel means whereby accidental unseating of thechain from the door is prevented and the possibility of disengaging thechain from the door connector by unauthorized persons is minimized- Thisinvention relates further to an improved key operated door chainfastener.

As is well known in the art, door chain fastener devices have been usedas a means of providing additional security in conjunction with the useof locking means commonly employed on doors, rim locks, night locks, andconventional cylinder lock constructions being examples of the same.Such devices have permitted the resident to open the door part wayvwithout compromising the security of the door since the door cannot beopened further than the limitations of the chain length withoutunhooking or unlatching the chain from the door. Such knownstructureshave been very simple in nature, comprising merely a chain anchored atone end to the door jamb and having afiixed to the other end a hook orshackle adapted alternatively to besecured to or removed from acomplemental shackle affixed to the door.

A well known danger involved in the use of such an assembly lies in thefact that if some accident should be fall the only inhabitant of'a houseor apartment in which a chain fastener has been applied to the door,there is no way of gaining entrance short of breaking in the door ordestroying the chain lock assembly. 1 I

' A recent development concerning an improved form of chain fastenerdevice has been the'subject' of United States patent application SerialNo. 757,355, filed August 26, 1958. The subject matter of suchapplication concerns a chain fastener device adapted under certainconditions to be released by an authorized person from outside the door.The instant application is directed to an improved chain fastener devicegenerally, and specifically to an improved device of the type disclosedin the prior filed application aforesaid.

Accordingly, it isan object of this invention to provide a chainfastener assembly wherein the chaining member may be disengaged byauthorizedpersons from outside the door. A further object of thisinvention is to provide a chain fastener assembly'whichrmay be operatedand A controlled by a cylinder plug,-thereby'permitting those personshavingthe correct key, for the plug to disengage ,the chain member fromthe. outside of the door.

Still a furtherobject of this invention is to pro vide a 2,981,09fiPatented Apr. 25, 1961 hereof, in which- Figure l is a' horizontalsection through a door and door frame upon which the device has beenmounted;

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the device, with parts broken away toshow details;

Figure 3 is a magnified section taken on the line. 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a magnified view similar to Figure 2, depicting anintermediate position of parts of the device during the opening ordisengaging cycle thereof;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary section taken on the lines 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a magnified exploded perspective of the chain connectorelement in accordance with the invention.

Reference is now made specifically to the drawings wherein a cylinderplug assembly 10 of any conventional type, preferably the disk tumbleror pin tumbler type, is provided with a rotatable plug member 11, keycontrolled to be released for rotation when a torque is applied to saidplug'by a properly cut key (not shown).

The plug assembly 10 is mounted in a transverse boring 12 through thedoor D by means of headed bolts 13, which extend through apertures 14 inback plate 15, which bolts, when drawn tight through complementallythreaded olfset apertures 16 secured to the assembly 10', serve tomaintain the assembly securely in the transverse boring,

with the back plate 15 drawn tightly against the rear face of the doorand the front drawn tightly against the front of the door. Forornamental purposes, and as a tamperp roof shield for the plug assembly10, a rose plate 16a may be interposed between the front face of thedoor and the assembly, to be relatively rotatable.

The back plate 15 is provided with a pair of spur members 17, 18, whichmembers serve, as the bolts 13, 13 are drawn tight, to engage the rearface of the door, indenting the latter to prevent rotation of the entireassembly within the transverse boring 12.

The key plug ll'of the cylinder is provided with a connecting bar 20,which bar in turn is engaged within a slot 21, formed in a trunnionmember 22. The trunnion 22 is provided with an annular shoulder-orflange 23 and an adjacent bearing surface 24, the said shoulder 23 beingwith an annular recess 29, in which recess there is adapted said splitwasher, in the' to be seated a split Washer 39, assembled position ofsaid trunnion on the said back plate, lying against the boss 31surrounding the bearing aperture 26, thereby preventing the trunnionfrom moving endwise inwardly. of theassemhly. The back plate 15 of theassembly is eccentrically formed in relationtothe center of the plate 15with a pair of cam seats 40, one said'seat lying symmetrically to eachside of the vertical-axis of said back plate in communicatingrelationship with the periphery of thesaid plate. The cam seats 40include inclined entry portions 41 cut deeply into the back plate 15 andsloping rearwardly to crest portions 42 coterminus with the plane of therearmost face 43 of the said back plate 15. The entering cam face 41desirably includes adjacent flared portions 44, 45, which portions actas a finder or guide to facilitate location of the follower portion, tobe dedescribed, within the said seats.

An inwardly inclined cam face 46 is formed adjacent each crest 42 intrailing position with respect to the periphery of the back plate 15.Each of the cam faces 46 slopes inwardly, terminating at a line 47,which line marks the innermost penetration of the said cam faces 46.Each of the said lines 47 forms the bottom portion of a generallyV-shaped cross-sectional configuration, the inward sloping face 48 andthe previously defined cam face 46 forming the branches of the said V.

The upper and lower boundaries defining the seats 40 are likewise formedby inclined or canted walls 49, 50, as is best seen in Figure 3. 7

Referring to the last mentioned figure, upper wall 49 and lower wall 50complete what may be roughly described as an inwardly extended slot ofpyramidal outline defined by the walls 46, 48, 49, 50, said pyramidhaving a four-sided base coterminus with the rear face 43 of the backplate 15, the line 47 comprising an apex of the said pyramid.

A clevis plate 55, bifurcated to provide spaced arms 56 and 57 with aslot 55a therebetween is mounted to trunnion 22 by means of a headedbolt 58 which, in the assembled position of the clevis plate, maintainssaid plate in proximate spaced relation from the back plate by thethreading of the bolt within the complemental aperture 59 formed in thetrunnion 22. The clevis plate is positively locked to the trunnion to berotatable with the key plug by means of the keying aperture 27a which iscomplementally formed to be received by the crown 27 of the trunnion 22,and maintained over said crown by the headed bolt aforesaid.

It will thus be seen that through the driving connection of the parts20, 21, 27 and 27a, a unitary structure is formed of the plug and plate,thereby assuring torque communication not dependent in any way uponfrictional engagement of the parts.

The assembly is completed by means of a chain portion 60 having one end61 anchored to a shackle 62, which is secured to the frame of a door bymeans of anchoring screws or otherwise. The free end 63 of the chain 60is secured about a clevis pin member 64. As best seen from Figures 3 and6, the clevis pin member comprises a body portion 65, having an annularrecess 66 of a dimension slidably to be received between the arms 56 and57 of the bifurcated plate 55. The recess 66 is defined, adjacent theleading portion of the said clevis pin by shoulders 67 and 68. The bodyportion 65 is formed with a central bore 69 along the axis of said bodyportion, the bore 6h including an oversized portion '76 communicatingwith a smaller bore 71, the two bores being separated by a taperedshoulder 72.

A pin member73, having a headed portion 74, is positioned within thesaid bore 69, the end 75 of the said pin being adapted axially slidablyto be received by the narrower bore portion 71, the head portion 74 ofthe said pin being likewise slidably receivable within the wider portion70 of thebore 69. The head and body portions 74, 75, respectively, ofthe pin are separated by a tapered annular headed portion or shoulder76, corresponding generally with'the tapered portion 72 separating thebores 71 and 7t).

As a result of such construction, the pin 73 may be inserted through thewider end 77 of the body of the clevis pin member, the action oftheshoulders 72 and 76 preventing endwise removal .ofthe pin from the bodyportion. A coiled expansion spring 80 is seated within thebore 69, oneend ,of the said springlying against and biasing the head 74 of the pin73 outwardly of the narrower bore 71 of the body portion, the other end80 of the said spring lying against a cap 81 which is permanentlyapplied over the end 77 of the body portion.

As best seen from Figure 6, the body portion may be provided with aperipherally serrated shank 82 in order to provide a frictional fit ofthe cap 81 to the body portion. However, other ways of securing the capto the body portion permanently will suggest itself to the assembler.

The cap 81 is provided, in addition, with a spring seat portion 83,which portion forms the reaction point for the end of the springopposite to the end biasing the head 74 of the pin 73.

It should be observed that the end link 90 of the chain 60 mayconveniently be applied and retained on the clevis pin assembly bysleeving the said link over the body portion of the clevis pin prior tothe application of the cap 81. In such case, the shoulders 91, 92 of thebody portion and cap portion, respectively, secure the loop or link 90of the chain againstremoval from the pin assembly.

Describing now the operation of the device, the plug assembly andconnectors are designed in a manner to align the walls of the crown 27substantially horizontally and vertically when the plug is in the lockedposition. The clevis plate 55, which includes the keying aperture 27a,will, accordingly, in the locked position of the door, also besubstantially horizontal, in which position the slot 55a, defined by thearms 56, 57, will overlie one or the other of the cam seats 40,depending upon the desired handing of the door, which handing operationwill hereafter be explained more fully.

To apply the chain 60 to the plug assembly, it is merely necessary toslide the pin assembly horizontally onto the slot 55a of the clevisplate 55, the shoulders or flanges 67, 68, after application, lying toeither side of the arms 56, 57 of the said plate, thereby serving toprevent removal of the pin assembly from the plate other than outwardlyin the direction of slot 55a. As the pin assembly is guided inwardly byarms 56, 57, the tip 75:! 0f the pin 73 will follow the entering camsurface 41, causing the pin to move axially inwardly within the clevisbody 65 toward the end 77 thereof, thereby compressing the spring 80. Asthe clevis pin assembly is slid further inwardly onto the clevis plate55, the follower tip 75a rides over the crest 42 and is thereupon urgedby the expanding spring 80 outwardly of the body 65 and into the apexline 47 (see Figure 3).

With the chain thus applied, the door may be partially opened,permitting interviewing and inspection of a caller without compromisingthe security of the door, since an inwardly directed exertion of forceon the door will merely tighten the chain. If, after inspection of thecaller, the inhabitant wishes to open the door, it is merely necessaryto slack off on the chain, by partially closing the door, and remove theclevis pin from the clevis plate by horizontally sliding the pin in thereverse direction to the direction of application.

It is possible for a person provided with a key for the plug 11 torelease a chain thus applied from outside the door. When the plug iskey-rotated as aforesaid, the clevis plate which is operativelyconnected to rotate with the plug turns downwardly (see Figure 4), theinitial downward movement serving to cam the pin 73, which follows thewall 50, axially inwardly of the clevis pin body 65 against the biasinginfluence of the spring 80.

I Upon further turning of the plate 55, the pin 73 will I pass the ledgeor peak 50aof the wall 50, and eventually 'the clevis pin assembly andchain 60 will fall free of the clevis plate SSunder the influence ofgravity, thus re-' leasing the door for normal operation.

Where it is desired to change the assembly for left or right handedoperation, it is merely necessary to release the headed bolt 58, removethe clevis plate 55, rotate the plate through 180, reseat the aperture27a of the plate over the crown 27 of the trunnion member 22, andreapply the bolt 58. It will be readily recognized that upon suchreversal, the other of the pair of cam seats 40 will be in registry withthe slot 55a of the clevis plate in the locked position of the plug.

The provision of the novel spring detent pin and cam seats in thecombination aforesaid serves to prevent accidental or intentionalrelease of the clevis pin from the clevis plate under the influence ofjogging vibration, or manipulation of the door structure. Likewise,since it requires a fair amount of force horizontally along the clevisplate to unseat the clevis pin from the clevis plate, the danger of anintruder releasing the pin from the plate by reaching around the edge ofthe door is minimized.

While the invention has been illustrated as used in conjunction with asingle slotted or lobed clevis plate, it should be understood thatvariations from such form, such as the use of a double lobed or slottedplate, further to facilitate handling, may be made without varying fromthe spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention and illustrated its use, what isclaimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A door chain fastener having a key operable cylinder plug assemblyarranged to be mounted on a door or the like, said fastener including akeyway extending to one side of the door and a back plate membersituated on the other side of the door, said back plate having a camseat portion on its rearward face, a cylinder plug, a clevis platecoupled to said plug in proximate, rearwardly spaced relation from saidback plate formed with walls defining a slot extending inwardly from theperiphery of said plate, said slot being positioned on said plate toregister with said cam seat portion in locked position of said plug, achain having one end adapted to be anchored to a door frame and havingat its other end a clevis pin, with a retaining portion of a size to beslidably engaged within said slot, and a spring loaded detent normallyextending from said pin a distance effective to project said detent intosaid cam seat portion when said retaining portion of said pin is engagedwith said slot in the locked position of said plug.

2. A door chain fastener comprising a key rotatable plug mounted withina cylinder lock assembly, having a back plate adapted to benon-rotatably secured to the rear face of a door, a concave cam seatformed in said back plate, a clevis plate coupled to said plug inproximate spaced relation to said back plate, and having mounting meansarranged in a locked position of said plug to register with said seat, aclevis pin having complemental mounting means to said clevis platemounting means and adapted to be mounted on and detached from saidmounting means by a sidewise slidable movement, said pin including aspring detent arranged to be projected into said seat when said pin ismounted on said clevis plate in a locked position of said plug, andwithdrawn from said cam seat when said plug is rotated, and a chainhaving one end fixed to said pin and its other end adapted to beanchored to a door frame.

3. A fastener in accordance with claim 2 wherein said mounting meanscomprises a slot formed in said clevis plate and extending to theperiphery thereof, and said complemental mounting means comprise a pairof flanges extending normal to the axis' of said pin, connected by aneck portion, said flanges being of a dimension greater than said slotand said neck portion being of a dimension less than said slot.

4. A fastener in accordance with claim 2 wherein said cam seat isprovided with an entering cam surface in leading position outwardly ofsaid seat, whereby upon mounting said pin on said clevis plate in thelocked position of said plug, said detent is sequentially depressed bysaid leading step and released when registered with said seat.

5. A chain fastener assembly for a door or the like comprising, incombination, a key rotatable plug, a clevis plate coupled to said plugand adapted to be rotated with said plug in proximate spaced relation tothe rear of the door, a cam seat secured to the back face of the doorand registering with a slot formed in said clevis plate, a clevis pininsertible sidewise into said'slot of said plate and including a detentarranged tobe spring biased into said seat when said pin is insertedinto said slot, said seat including a cam portion arranged, upon keyoperation of said plug, to coact with said detent to cam the latter outof said seat.

6. A chain fastener device comprising a key operable plug assemblyadapted to be mounted on a door to expose a keyway on the front face ofthe door and a back plate on the rear face, said device including arotatable plug, a. clevis plate coupled to and rotatable with said plugin proximate spaced relation to said back plate, a slot formed in saidclevis plate and radially extending inwardly from the periphery thereof,a cam seat on said back plate, a cam step on said back plate adjacentsaid seat, said seat and step arranged to register with said slot in thelocked position of said plug, with said step in the leading positionrelative to said seat with respect to the periphery of said clevisplate, a chain having one end adapted to be anchored to a door frame andhaving at the other end a clevis pin slidably insertible into andremovable from said slot of said clevis plate, and a spring loadeddetent normally extending from said pin and arranged, when said pin isinserted into said slot, in the locked position of said plug, to bebiased inwardly by said steps and to spring into said seat, said pinbeing arranged, upon turning of said plug, to be ejected from said slot.

7. A chain fastener device comprising a key operable plug assemblyadapted to be mounted on a door to expose a keyway on the front face ofthe door and a back plate on the rear face of the door, said deviceincluding a rotatable plug, a clevis plate coupled to and rotatable withsaid plug in proximate spaced relation to said back plate, a slot formedin said clevis plate and extending inwardly from the periphery thereof,a seat member on said back plate, said seat member arranged to registerwith said a slot in the locked position of said plug, a chain having oneend adapted to be anchored to a door frame and having at the other end aclevis pin slidably insertible into and removable from said slot of saidclevis plate, and a spring loaded detent member normally extending fromsaid pin and arranged, when said pin is inserted into said slot in thelocked position of said plug, to be projected into said seat member,said detent member and seat member including cam means on one of saidmembers and follower means on said other members whereby, upon keyrotation of said plug, said detent member will be cammed out of saidseat member.

8. A device in accordance with claim 7 wherein said pin includes aflange member lying in the clevis plate inserted position of said pinbetween said back plate and said clevis plate, said flange being of asize to prevent endwise removal of said pin through said slot.

9. A device in accordance with claim 7 wherein said slot of said clevisplate is adapted, in the door mounted position of said assembly, to liein a substantially horizontal plane and, upon key rotation of said plug,to be shiftable to a downwardly depending vertical plane.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,824,045 Fetyk Sept. 22, 1931 2,075,015 Beaumont Mar. 30, 1937 FOREIGNPATENTS 338,136 Germany June 13, 1921

